Spoon

ABSTRACT

A SPOON FOR LIQUID SEPARATION, SKIMMING, SAMPLING, AND THE LIKE HAVING A BOWL PORTION OF GENERAL OVAL CONFIGURATION WITH A DIFFERENTIAL IN EXTENT OF THE SIDE PORTIONS SO THAT ONE SIDE EDGE IS DISPOSED UPWARDLY OF THE OTHER SIDE EDGE, THERE BEING A SLOT-LIKE APERTURE FORMED IN SAID BOWL DOWNWARDLY OF THE LOWER SIDE EDGE.

3311.261971 h R.B.cRoNHE1M v.3,557,452

sPooN Filed Oct. 23, 1968 INVENTOR RlCHARD B. CRONHEIM ATTORN EY United States Patent O ABSTRACT oF THE DISCLOSURE 2 claims f A spoon for liquid separation, skimming, sampling,

and the like having a bowl portion of general oval con- Yitiguration with a differential in extent of the side portions `so that one side edge isdisposed upwardly of the other side edge; there' being a slot-like aperture formed in said bowl downwardly of the lower side edge.`

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY oF TH INVENTION Y This invention relates in general to utensils, and, more particularly, to a spoon adapted for effecting a multiplicity of operations such as liquid separation, liquid skimming as for removal of grease, sampling, and general customary usage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a spoon which is adapted for readily effecting liquid separation, as in permitting removal of liquid from objects Withdrawn from a body of liquid, without lthe necessity ofhhaving to hold the object against inadvertent displaceme'nt during such liquid withdrawing action.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a spoon of the character stated which is adapted for electing in a facile manner the skimming of a body of liquid, as by the Withdrawal of material resting, or floating, upon the surface thereof, for example grease and the like.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a spoon of the character stated which permits of ease of sampling of a liquid body with ready return to the body of .any unnecessary portions of the sample.

'It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a spoon of the type stated which may be most economically produced, as from metal, plastic or the like; which is reliable and durable in usage; and which is extremely versatile in that the same may be used as an ordinary spoon as distinguished from the various usages attached to food preparation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAIWI'NGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a spoon constructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention.

lFIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the spoon as used from the lower side of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED IEMBODIMENT Referring now by reference characters to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the present invention, A generally designates a spoon having a bowl 1 of general lso-called oval form, that is being of partiprolate spheroidal character embodying side portions 2, 3 which merge to define the base 4 of bowl 1 and are coterminous at one end as at 5, while at their other ends are integral with a tang or shank 6; which latter progresses from said bowl for engagement, as by rivets 7 and the like to a handle 8. Bowl 1 may be fabricated from 3,557,452 Patented Jan. 26, 1971 ICC sheet material, as by stamping, or, if desired, may be molded from suitable plastics. It will thus be seen that the longitudinal axis of bowl 1 substantially coincides with that of tang l6 and handle 8.

Side portion 2 is of greater extent than side portion 3 as considered from base 4 so that when spoon A is in a position of rest (FIG. 2) the margin of side portion 2, as indicated at 9, will be higher than the corresponding margin |10 of side portion 3 (FIG. 4). Thus, side portions 2, 3 are not symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of spoon A. Margin 10 is contoured so as to present a dished conguration in that its opposite end portions are slightly higher than its central portion which latter is indicated at 11 in FIG. 4.

Formed in side portion 3 proximate margin 10 is an elongated, slot-like aperture 12 which terminates spacedly from the end portions of side portion 3, that is from the zones of merging with the opposed side Wall portion 2. The said aperture 12 conforms to the bowl configuration of side wall portion 3.

Spoon A is extremely versatile in usage being useful in the performance of various operations requisite in normal food preparation. Initially its utilization as a conventional spoon is apparent and with the capacity of bowl 1 being maximized by rotation of handle 8 about its axis in a direction clockwise of FIG. 3 so as to, in effect, shift the base of recess 4 slightly toward margin 9 so that aperture 12 would be substantially presented to margin 9 so as to conjointly provide the upper limits of the receptacle.

In order to eifect a skimming operation such as for removing grease from the surface of a body of liquid, spoon A is presented to the surface of said liquid with base 4 directed thereon. A slight rotative movement of handle y8 in a direction counter-clockwise of FIG. 3 will present aperture 12 to the surface material for flow therethrough and into bowl 1. It is, of course, apparent that spoon A be moved across the liquid surface during such receiving action. The material to be skimmed, such as grease, thus will readily flow into bowl 4 and due to the extent of said aperture 12 but minimal portions of the underlying liquid will be withdrawn. The relative height of side portion 2 will thus serve to contain the received skimmed material as against inadvertent or unauthorized return r.tlow into the liquid body. The withdrawn material may be easily poured from the bowl 1 into any suitable receptacle. It is, of course, evident that in transferring the skimmed material to a container or the like the same may be permitted to ilow through aperure 12 but it has been found desirable to empty bowl 1 by ow over side margin 9 so as to prevent any undesired adherence of grease to the edges of aperture 12 with consequent clogging or occluding thereof.

It is to be particularly noted that by providing margin 10 normally spacedly downwardly from margin 9, the degree of rotative movement of spoon A about its longitudinal axis is substantially minimized for the relative location of said lower edge 10 will permit of ready ow thereacross of surface material upon a liquid body without the heretofore customary substantial turning of the spoon. Thus, the unique configuration of bowl 1 together with the location of aperture 12 with respect to said margin 10 allows of ready address of bowl 1 to surface material to be skimmed. It is apparent that the skimming operation may be effected across margin 10 or through aperture 12 as above described.

For separation purposes, it would appear that the use of spoon A is most obvious. Thus, spoon A may be utilized to withdraw an object from a liquid body, such as, for instance, a boiled egg, and with aperture 12 and relatively lowered margin 10 allowing facile withdrawal structions heretofore known it had been requisite to in some way hold the withdrawn Object during the liquid pouring actionl so as to prevent the object from being displaced as a result of the necessity of effecting a substantial turning of the particular spoon about its axis so as to allow for the liquid separation. Thus, the use of spoon A with respect to a boiled egg is merely exemplary of the use of spoon A for separating liquid from a withdrawn, cooked object, and the like.

The utilizationv of spoon A for sampling purposes should be apparent in that a portion of liquid to be tested is easily received over margin 10 and upon sampling the balance may be returned through aperture 12 with minimal manipulation of handle A. Additionally, aperture 12 serves to permit of ease of control of the amount of liquid to be received within bowl 1 for sampling orv testing purposes so that such portions of the received sample as are deemed superfluous may be quickly and easily returned to the particular container, leaving the desired quantum of liquid for sampling.

Having thus described my invention, what I hope and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spoon comprising means dening a bowl, a handle, means interconnecting said handle and said bowl, said bowl lbeing of general elliptical form having side portions disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said spoon, said side portions being of different `of any liquid received with the egg. With spoon cone extent transversely ofA saidspoon so that the edge remote from said longitudinal axis of one portion is lower than the corresponding edge ofthe other portion when the spoon is in its normal position of rest, the lower edge of said one portion being marginally dished relative to the transverse axis of said bowl, and an elongated aperture provided in said one portion having a lower edge, said aperture being spacedly downwardly from the said lower edge and terminating at its ends from the proximate end portions of the bowl.

2. A spoon as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by said aperture being radially spaced from said lower side edge.

References Cited UNITEDv STATES PATENTS 211,233 1/1879 Friedly 30g-325 1,570,321 1/1926 Sweeney 30-325 2,035,065 3/1936 Grey 30-325X 20 2,258,058 10/1941 Johnson 30-325 2,556,092 6/1951 Kimball 30.325X

VFOREIGN PATENTS 485,506 8/1952 Canada. 25 747,054 9/ 1944 Germany.

GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, in., Pnnnary Examiner 

